New Research Finds Cancer Reduces Alzheimer's Risk

New research from scientists in Boston points to a surprising link between two devastating diseases: cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

The study, presented yesterday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference here in Boston, finds that people with most types of cancer appear to have a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's, particularly if they've been treated with chemotherapy.

Jane Driver, lead researcher on the VA Alzheimer's study and a geriatrician at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

The Boston Globe: "Researchers at the VA Boston Healthcare System found that most types of cancer were associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, which has no cure. Survivors of liver cancer had the most protection, a 51 percent reduced risk. Cancers of the pancreas, esophagus, lung, and kidney, as well as leukemia, also appeared to be “protective,” reducing risk between 22 and 44 percent, according to the study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Boston."